Kelsey, Colton Honored At Toledo Memorial

There is a place in a Toledo neighborhood where friends and families who have lost young loved ones can come together. With the hustle and bustle of a city beyond its tall fences, the Toledo Children’s Memorial exists as a safe place to grieve other than a cemetery, said Daniel Cole, who created and operates the memorial.

Recently, Mr. Cole, of Temperance honored Kelsey Koepfler and Colton Durbin, two Bedford teenagers who lost their lives in automobile-related accidents.

“We have cameras that show people coming up to the memorial at all hours of the day and night placing flowers or just looking at the names,” Mr. Cole said. “It’s comforting to know that strangers are thinking of your children and a relief to know they aren’t going to be forgotten.”

Mr. Cole, who lost his own son, Matthew, in November, 2008, created the memorial in 1999 after the deaths of two Start High School students. The memorial consists of a stone monument and a walkway made of “Angel Bricks” where the names of lost children are engraved. The candle at the memorial is lit in memory of a young person and burns in their honor for about five days.

Of the 40 children memorialized there, four — including Kelsey and Colton — are Bedford students. Kelsey’s and Colton’s bricks will be engraved soon and be placed in the walkway this spring.

The memorial has been home to candlelight vigils in situations like the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Mr. Cole, who runs the memorial at his personal expense, said the Toledo Children’s Memorial is a gift from himself to the community.

“I just saw how this effected everyone and I needed to do my part,” Mr. Cole said.